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KrishiKrishi

Central scheme

Namo Drone Didi

नमो ड्रोन दीदी

ActiveLaunched 2023 · Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare + Ministry of Rural Development
Benefit
80% drone subsidy / max ₹8L
Drone + spray assembly + battery + camera + 1-yr warranty + 2-yr AMC + insurance; balance via AIF loan at 3%; ~₹1L/yr income potential per Drone Didi
Enrol on lakhpatididi.gov.in

Eligibility

  • Eligible: woman member of NRLM SHG trained as drone pilot
  • Eligible: SHG with cluster spray demand

Documents required

  • SHG registration certificate
  • Aadhaar of SHG members
  • DGCA Remote Pilot Certificate (Junior Lieutenant) after 15-day training
  • SHG bank account

Quick facts

Key facts about this scheme
Launched2023
Implementing ministryMinistry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare + Ministry of Rural Development
Latest budget₹1,261 crore
Application portallakhpatididi.gov.in (opens in new tab)
StatusActive

Programme design

Namo Drone Didi, launched 28 November 2023, sits at the convergence of agricultural mechanisation and DAY-NRLM's Lakhpati Didi women's livelihood mission. Target: 15,000 women SHGs receive a fully-equipped agriculture-spray drone with 80 % subsidy capped at ₹8 lakh. Total outlay ₹1,261 crore over FY 2023-24 to FY 2025-26.

What is included in the ₹8 lakh package

  • Drone — typically 10-25 L tank capacity.
  • Spray assembly with nozzle kit.
  • Two batteries + dual-bay charger.
  • RGB / multi-spectral camera.
  • 1-year warranty + 2-year Annual Maintenance Contract.
  • Crash insurance.

The Drone Didi pathway

  1. A DAY-NRLM SHG with a women member willing to train as a pilot identifies herself via the cluster federation.
  2. 15-day training at an empanelled drone academy → DGCA Remote Pilot Certificate (Junior Lieutenant Class).
  3. SHG receives the drone with subsidy; balance financed via AIF (3 % interest subvention).
  4. Drone Didi offers spray services at ₹250-₹400 per acre to surrounding farmers — earning ~₹1 lakh/year per pilot. Cooperative bookkeeping by SHG.

Why drones

A 10 L agriculture drone covers about 1 acre in 7-10 minutes vs 4-6 hours with a knapsack sprayer; reduces pesticide use by 20-30 % through targeted spraying; eliminates farmer exposure to pesticide spray drift; and works in standing-crop conditions where ground equipment cannot operate. Nano-urea spray is the highest-volume use case identified by Department of Fertilizers.

Latest changes (2024 — 2026)

  • February 2024: Cabinet approved outlay of ₹1,261 crore over three years; target of 15,000 women SHG drones confirmed.
  • August 2024: First tranche of 1,000+ drones distributed across Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka; DGCA-certified women pilots crossed 1,000.
  • December 2024: AIF loan window standardised — SHGs draw the 20 % balance at 3 % interest subvention, with CGTMSE guarantee, through cooperative banks.
  • March 2025: Indian Council of Fertilizers approved nano-DAP for drone-spray use cases, doubling addressable acreage beyond nano-urea alone.
  • November 2025: SHG cluster federations enabled to act as drone-fleet operators, allowing pooling of pilot resources across 4 — 6 SHGs for higher utilisation.

Step-by-step pathway for an SHG

  1. SHG must be an active DAY-NRLM affiliate with minimum 18-month grading history and clean repayment.
  2. SHG identifies one woman member (typically 18 — 45, 10th-pass) willing to train as a DGCA-certified pilot.
  3. Cluster Level Federation (CLF) endorses the SHG to the State Rural Livelihood Mission (SRLM).
  4. SRLM nominates the SHG to an empanelled drone academy for a 15-day Remote Pilot Certificate (RPC) course funded by the scheme.
  5. On certification, SHG places order with a state- empanelled drone manufacturer; LFL (Lead Financing Loan) sanction by cooperative bank, with AIF 3 % subvention applied.
  6. Drone delivered with 1-year warranty + 2-year AMC + crash insurance; SHG offers spray services at ₹250 — ₹400/acre to surrounding farmers.
  7. Annual income target ~₹1 lakh per SHG with proper booking, geo-tagged spray records and nano-urea/DAP convergence with the local agri-input dealer.

Common rejection reasons

  • SHG grading below A: only A-graded SHGs (per NRLM grading) qualify; lower-grade SHGs must upgrade first.
  • Pilot training drop-off: candidate must clear DGCA RPC examination; drop-out triggers re-nomination by SHG.
  • Bank loan rejection: insufficient SHG repayment history or absence of CGTMSE coverage disqualifies the LFL.
  • Drone not from empanelled manufacturer: only state-empanelled DGCA-certified manufacturers qualify.
  • Geo-tag & flight-log discrepancy: spray records that lack DGCA-compliant flight logs risk forfeiture of subsidy in the year-1 audit.

Grievance escalation: SRLM CEO → State Mission Director (DAY-NRLM) → MoRD PMU. The lakhpatididi.gov.in portal hosts a public grievance tab; DGCA pilot- certification grievances are handled through the digital sky platform.

Coverage and outlay statistics

Per MoRD and MoA&FW data tabled in Parliament, roughly 4,000 — 5,000 SHGs had received drones by mid-2025 against the three-year target of 15,000. State- wise leaders: MP, UP, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Telangana. Cumulative outlay released to state SRLMs and PSU implementing partners (IFFCO, KRIBHCO) exceeded ₹400 crore by FY 2024-25, with full disbursement targeted by FY 2025-26.

How Drone Didi stacks with other schemes

The 20 % SHG contribution is typically financed under AIF (3 % interest subvention, CGTMSE guarantee). Pilot training and SHG capacity-building converge with Krishi Sakhi where women extension agents recommend drone-spray services to farmer clients. Nano-urea/DAP sales link with the Department of Fertilizers' subsidy payments, ensuring an input-margin supplement for drone-pilot Didis. SMAM's pilot-training cost can be drawn separately. For FPO-owned drones, the 10,000 FPOs scheme provides equity grant and credit guarantee.

Related

Related schemes

Sources

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